newsletter issue 159

Between Kendrick Lamar dominating at the BET Awards and Doechii’s mic-drop moment when she used her win to slam Trump’s crackdown on LA protesters, culture’s biggest night did what it does best—deliver drama, nostalgia, and a few meme-worthy moments. Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter not-so-successfully tried to recreate the success of her summer hits with ‘Manchild’ and Taylor Swift’s Reputation just slithered back into Billboard’s top five now that she owns it again, and honestly? We can all breathe a little easier. But while the mainstream rides its high, I’ve found my own pocket of cool: discovering Stick No Bills, a gender-fluid DJ collective from Dubai that’s remixing South Asian nostalgia with club culture realness. I’m no music snob (my playlists scream “algorithm-trained amateur”), but dropping their name in convos has upped my cred. Ditto with Naya Beat, a label digging up old South Asian vinyl gems and giving them a second life. It’s not just music, it’s memory revival. Catch both stories on The Nod—and you’re welcome in advance.